Title (fr)

Publication

Application

Priority

US 2187293 A 19930224

Abstract (en)

[origin: EP0613080A2] The present invention provides apparatus and methods for use in computer display system, and in particular, display system s having object-oriented graphic user interfaces with overlapping windows. A display system including at least one central processing unit (CPU) is coupled through appropriate input/output (I/O) circuitry to input devices, such as a cursor control device. The CPU is further coupled to a hard disk drive for the storage of programs and data, and is coupled to a network through which the CUP may communicate with a variety of system resources such as editors, music synthesizers, graphic generators and the like. The CPU is also coupled to a display device on which the present invention's user interface is displayed. Utilizing the teachings of the present invention, a "real" and a "virtual" workspace is defined comprising the entire desktop available to a user. The real workspace constitutes that portion of the desktop visible to the user on the display at any one time. The virtual workspace comprises a predefined extension of the screen area of the display which is also available for use by the user. The virtual workspace constitutes that portion of the desktop which is not visible to the user at any one time. The real and virtual workspaces comprise the entire desktop available to the user for opening and manipulating windows in the display system. In addition, windows may be selectively affixed to the desktop. Using the cursor control device, a user may pan horizontally over the desktop (both real and virtual). <IMAGE>